How much weight do first author abstracts hold?

[Targaryens]

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Hi! I've never posted on here before, but I recently learned that two abstracts for which I am first author have been accepted at a national clinical conference. I will be presenting a poster and podium presentation for each of these. The graduate students at my lab said that this is a pretty big deal, but other people have made it seem less significant. I'm also second/third author on a couple other abstracts accepted by this conference, if that makes a difference.

As I'm unsure what else my lab can offer me in terms of publications, this may be all I have to show for my research experience when I apply to med school, so I'd like to know how "impressive" this will look, especially when applying to more research-oriented med schools.

 

[Spectar]

It will look pretty damn good...

 

[Lawpy]

Hi! I've never posted on here before, but I recently learned that two abstracts for which I am first author have been accepted at a national clinical conference. I will be presenting a poster and podium presentation for each of these. The graduate students at my lab said that this is a pretty big deal, but other people have made it seem less significant. I'm also second/third author on a couple other abstracts accepted by this conference, if that makes a difference.

As I'm unsure what else my lab can offer me in terms of publications, this may be all I have to show for my research experience when I apply to med school, so I'd like to know how "impressive" this will look, especially when applying to more research-oriented med schools.

First author abstracts are not as strong as publications but they are still productivity, and presenting at national conferences is a good thing and definitely worth listing in your application.

 

[Welshman]

I updated 90% of my schools about my first author poster presentation at a national GI conference back in September, the only IIs that followed were from schools I didn’t update...

On the other hand my interviewers seemed pretty impressed that an undergrad came up with an experiment that was presented at a national level

A podium presentation sounds much more substantial though

 

[Gilakend]

Better than not having them. Under 25% of UG have any sort publication, poster or presentation and only a smaller fraction have anything at national conference. Definately a solid plus over 80-90% over all other applicants


Now just have a solid GPA, a high MCAT, significant clinical and community volunteering, leadership, other evidence of characteristics schools are looking for in primary PS and all those secondaries, compete against thousands of applicants like yourself at individual school, reduced to several hundred interview invites reduced to a few hundred acceptances and waitlists spots finally getting a hundred or so matriculated students. Piece of cake.

When you say "under 25% of UG" are you referring to UG in general or applicants to med schools? I feel like middle author pubs are soooo common on SDN (in WAMC forum)

 

[Targaryens]

Thank you everyone for the feedback !!

 

[Catalystik]

Hi! I've never posted on here before, but I recently learned that two abstracts for which I am first author have been accepted at a national clinical conference. I will be presenting a poster and podium presentation for each of these. The graduate students at my lab said that this is a pretty big deal, but other people have made it seem less significant. I'm also second/third author on a couple other abstracts accepted by this conference, if that makes a difference.

As I'm unsure what else my lab can offer me in terms of publications, this may be all I have to show for my research experience when I apply to med school, so I'd like to know how "impressive" this will look, especially when applying to more research-oriented med schools.

Sometimes these abstracts are published in a conference's affiliated, nationally- or regionally-distributed paper journal (I'm not referring to a conference booklet) and this would qualify as a "publication."

 

[861843]

I have a lot of publications and abstracts and, at least from my experience, pre-interview it didn't seem to do much at all; maybe it holds more weight at the top 5 or so research schools, but otherwise research kind of seems to be a box and MCAT / GPA makes the initial decision. During interviews, however, it was a pretty hot topic.

 

[boogiecousins94]

If I have a co-first author international abstract that was recently accepted to th should I update schools where they interview into april? I would add more volunteering hours etc. but I didnt think it held that much weight (I have other abstracts and publications too)